DEL.ICIO.USMario West works again to make Hawks roster
Former Douglas County, Georgia Tech star hopes not to be the odd man out
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Mario West says it’s really simple math.
The Hawks can carry a maximum of 15 players on the roster this season. There are 17 in camp. Only 14 have guarantees, and West (along with rookies Frank Robinson and Marcus Hubbard) isn’t one of them.
AJC file
Mario West made the most of his playing opportunities last season with the Hawks.
That means West has to do this season what he did a year ago. He must make the Hawks’ opening-day roster the hard way.
So will the former Douglas County High School and Georgia Tech star make the cut?
A decision won’t come for a few weeks, but here are five factors on West’s road to realizing his dream for the second consecutive year:
Addition of Evans
The Hawks might not need a young defensive stopper like West with the addition of veteran Mo Evans.
This may be the most troubling development for West, who had a clearly defined role last year with the Hawks in need of a wing player willing to accept the daunting challenge of defending an opposing superstar no matter the circumstance. “That’s why Mario is grinding the way he always does,” Hawks captain Joe Johnson said. “He knows nothing is guaranteed. So he’s been going like crazy since the first day of camp. That’s just who he is. And hard work usually pays off.”
Roster size
The Hawks could keep 14 players rather than 15.
A final roster of 14 would leave one spot open and allow the Hawks flexibility. An open spot could help if they were to make a trade to get multiple players. But if rookie forward Othello Hunter spends time in the D-League, a reasonable option for a player not physically ready to play in the paint in the NBA, 15 players will be needed. “He’s kind of nervous because he knows he could be down to the last spot just like last year,” said Acie Law IV, West’s best friend on the team. “The fact is they brought in a couple more guys, so he has to prove himself all over again to not only the coaches but the new general manager and his staff.”
On the offensive
Thomas Gardner is a bigger, better shooting option for the final roster spot (if the Hawks keep 14 players).
Gardner is a specialist in his own right – a shooting specialist. No team in the league has enough of those. The Hawks, who have been lacking in that department the past four years, would certainly appear to need another shooter more than a backup defensive stopper. “There’s no question his offensive game is still a work in progress,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “But that’s the case for a lot of these guys; they are works in progress in some form or fashion. There’s value in being a playmaker, though, and you can do that on offense and defense.”
Another brick in the wall
No player on the roster is scrappier or goes harder than West in practice or games, making him the ideal player for the end of a roster.
“He’d run through this brick wall right here if they told him to,” Johnson said. There’s no question West is committed to doing whatever it takes to make the roster, hence his breakneck pace every day. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get that roster spot,” he said. “The guys know it and the coaches know it. I’m just doing whatever I can to bring that defensive intensity and all-around energy.”
Faith tested
West has faith and plenty of fight in him to see this thing to the end.
Combine his maniacal work ethic and his sincere belief in the power of positive thinking and it’s hard to imagine a scenario where West doesn’t impress enough to earn that final spot. “I consider myself a man of strong faith, and it’s being tested,” West said. “I went through this last year and it’s about me trying to prove myself. You have to earn your keep. And I have a lot of fight in me and I’m not going out without a fight.”
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